Track mounted accessory clip



Nov. 14, 1961 J. l.. BoNANNo 3,009,026

TRACK MOUNTED ACCESSORY CLIP Filed Aug. 28, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JbsEPH .Bo/vA/v/vo N0V- 14, 1961 J. L. BoNANNo 3,009,026

TRACK MOUNTED ACCESSORY CLIP Filed Aug. 28, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 34 Z3 /Z 2'/ .f/ /7 /Z lNvENToR DSEPH l.. ,Bo/VANNO 72nd-44 y@ f7/M ATTORNEYS Uiiii This invention relates to model railways and, more particularly, to a contact or track accessory contact clip for electrically operated model railways. i

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical contact for energizing a model railway accessory in response to the passage of a model railway car over a predetermined section of track.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a stationary contact assembly adapted to be placed under a predetermined section of track for energizing an accessory carried upon a railway car in response to movement of that car over the contact.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a contact of the above type specifically adapted for use in connection with a simulated low bridge warning signal to effect the energization of a simulated brakeman mounted upon one of the railway cars.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a contact for model railways bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efficient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a device made in accordance with the present invention in operative use;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of the contact device;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the contact device in operative association with a three rail trackway;

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken along line 5 5 of FIGURE 4, showing the manner in which the contact is attached to the track;

FIGURE 6 is a longitudinal cross sectional View taken along line 6 6 of FIGURE 4, showing the device in fully assembled relationship;

FIGURE 7 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along line 7 7 of FIGURE 3; and

yFIGURE 8 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along line 8 8 of FIGURE 3.

In accordance with the present invention, a detachable contact assembly for model railways has been provided that includes a base having a stationary contact at one end and a stanchion at the opposite end for supporting a low bridge warning signal device, a longitudinally slidable contact also being supported upon the base plate -for selectively attaching the unit to any desired section of three rail model railway track.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a detachable contact assembly 10y made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a base plate 12 having a longitudinally extending rib 13 defining a downwardly facing housing at one end thereof. Slots 1'4, 16 are provided at the rear and forward ends of the rib 13 for purposes hereinafter described. The front end of the base plate 12 is also provided with a transversely extending recess 15, along each side of which are provided a pair of laterally spaced apart slots 17.

A channel shaped contact plate having downwardly depending tabs or prongs 21 which extend through the States atcnt ice slots 17 is adapted to underlie the middle rail of the three rail trackway in a position out of contact therewith, the middle rail being electrically insulated from the base plate 12. The upwardly extending side flanges 2,'2 are adapted to be contacted by a contact shoe carried by one of the railway cars, for purposes hereinafter described. The outermost forward end of the base plate 12 is also provided with upwardly and rearwardly extending Contact members 23 that are arranged to hook upon the outer one of the track rails, as shown'in FIGURES l and 3. As is more clearly shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, a stationary assembly plate 25 is provided with a prong 26 that is adapted to extend upwardly from the bottom side of the base plate 12 through one of a pair of slots 28 so that the prong may be twisted to secure the plate 25 in proper assembled relationship. This plate 25 is also provided with an upwardly extending semi-circular plate 30a which is received within the rearmost slot 14 adjacent to the longitudinal rib 13. This plate cooperates with a similar plate 30h secured to the base plate 12 for defining a sleeve that removably receives a vertical stanchion 32 n of the simulated low bridge signal device 33.

A longitudinally slidable contact plate 34 similar to the stationary plate 25 is provided with an upwardly extending prong 35 that is received within the other one of the slots 28 and which is bent over, as shown in FIGURE 3, to prevent disassembly thereof. The forward end of this slidable plate 34 is provided with a Contact member 37 for engaging with the other outside one of the rails, as shown in FIGURE 6. A tension spring 40` supported at opposite ends upon arms 29, 38, of the stationary and slidable contact plates 25, 34, respectively, normally urges the slidable contact plate 314 into engagement with the associated rail, as shown in FIGURE 4, so as to retain the assembly in proper relationship with the trackway. While the apparatus shown in the drawing is for use with what is generally known as O-gauge equipment, the elements could be adapted for use with smaller 027 equipment by using smaller parts.

In using the contact assembly made in accordance with the present invention, the entire unit is supported upon the trackway by assembling it in the manner shown inv FIGURES 5 and 6. Sufficient pressure is exerted against the slidable contact plate 34 through the con-tact element 37 to permit the stationary contacts 23 to be hooked around the adjacent rail, yfollowing which, the tension spring -40 maintains the parts in the proper position. The stanchion 32 may then be inserted into the sleeve formed by the semicircular portions 30a, b, as shown -in FIGURE 6. 'Ille railway car embodying the device to be actuated by the closing of the particular circuit is also provided with a downwardly depending contact shoe `44 which passes between the inside rail 45 and one of the outside rails 46 of t-he trackway so that it W-ill contact either one of the flanges 22 of the U-shaped contact plate 20 as it moves past the location of the unit. This contact closes the circuit of the device carried by the particular car so that 4the device is energized. In the particular instance, such device is in the form of a simulated brakeman which will be rota-ted to a depressed position upon the t-op of a freight car as the figure strikes the simulated ropes of the low bridge signal device 33, thereby producing a novel and amusing motion.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and 4desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A detachable contact assembly for attachment to a three-rail track structure for energizing an accessory upon a model railway car comprising, in combination, a base plate, stationary contact means at one end of said base plate for contacting an outside rail of a three rail track, positionable support means at the opposite end of said base plate for releasably supporting a stanchion, a longitudinally slidable contact carried by said base plate for engagement with another outside rail of a three rail track, resilient means intermediate said positionable support means and said longitudinally slidable contact, said resilient means biasing said longitudinally slidable contact toward said stationary contact and biasing said positionable support means into supporting position, and a shoe contact device comprising a substantially U-shaped channel -member detachably secured to said base plate intermediate said stationary contact and said slidable contact and having flanges extending upwardly for contact by a portion of a model railway car moving thereover for energizing an accessory carried upon the car.

2. A detachable electric contact assembly for attachment to a three-rail track structure for actuation of an accessory on a model railway car, ycomprising a base plate, stationary Contact means attached at one end of said base plate for contacting the outside ange of an outside rail of the three-rail track, an upstanding semi-cylindrical portion at the opposite end of said base plate for supporting a stanchion, a longitudinally slidable contact means carried by said base plate having an upstanding lug for engagement with the outside lange of the other outside rail of said track structure, a slide plate including a substantially semi-cylindrical upstanding portion on its end, said opstanding semi-cylindrical portion being comple,-

mentary to and oppositely disposed to the upstanding,

semi-cylindrical portion of said base plate, and means connecting said slide plate and said slidable contact means to bias said lug against outside rail and to bias said semicylindrical upstanding portion of said slide plate in a direction towards the semi-cylindrical portion of said base plate thereby to permit supporting of a stanchion therebetween.

3. The combination according to claim 2, wherein said base plate includes a longitudinal rib, a slot extending through said base plate at each end of said rib and wherein said lug is positioned to extend through one of said slots and said semi-cylindrical upstanding portion of said slide plate to extend through the other of said slots.

4. A combination according to claim 3, wherein said base plate has a slot oneach side of said rib and said slidable contact includes a plate slidably disposed at one side of said base plate and having an upwardly extending prong slidable Within one of said side slots, and wherein said side plate has an upwardly extending prong slidable on the other of said side slots and a spring connected between said slide plate and said slidable contact plate for clamping a stanchion at one side of said base plate and for clamping the base plate onto the rail at the other side of said base plate.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,647,173 Caruso Nov. 1, 1927 1,742,200 Cowen Jan. 7, 1930 1,804,783 Koerber May 12, 1931 1,804,784 Koerber May 12, 1931 2,237,662 Ferri Apr. 8, 1941 2,614,178 Donaldson Oct. 14, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 480,664 Germany Aug. 29, 1929 

